m
h
y
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R t s an d Rhym es
Poetry can be the perfect “hook” to get youngsters
excited about reading and writing. After all, children’s
poems are fun to read, often silly, and sure to make
kids laugh. Read a few poems aloud, and you may
find your child eager to hear more — or even to
write some poetry herself.
Here are five types of poems, along with tips for
helping your child “be a poet and not even know it!”
A
Real
Triangle
Three sides
And three co
rners
Like a piece of
pizza
e
Or a wedge of
pineapple.
to read? Tr y shap
is
it
as
at
ok
U
pside down or
uch fun to lo
out the
right side up
ple, a poem ab
Tall and skinny
that’s just as m
am
em
ex
po
r
a
Fo
te
c.
ri
pi
w
t
or
to
s
bu
sh
it
e,
ort and wide
of
Want to
e
ym
rh
ap
It
’s
n
always a tria
written in the sh
shape poem ca
ngle if it’s go
t three sides.
poetry, which is shaped like a moon or star. A
Shape poem
be
ts,
night sky might
lloons, and hear
ba
s,
.
ar
st
to
,
ve
es
pl
ha
ild can pick
it doesn’t
apes, such as ap org/materials/shape/. Your ch
A variety of sh
k.
in
www.readwriteth
it. Note: You
are available at
a poem about
te
ri
w
d
an
e
ap
this kind of
out a sh
mputer to write in different
co
a
ed
ne
— it can
t
n’
do
cut paper
Free verse is just what it sounds like
r
te
gs
poem. Simply
un
g or
yo
min
rhy
ur
ng
have yo
be whatever you want, includi
shapes. Then,
t
ou
ab
ry,”
age
ds
“im
or
ng
t of w
not rhyming. It usually has stro
brainstorm a lis
em
po
t is
a
poe
the
te
t
ri
wha
w
so you can almost see or feel
the shape, and
.
ds
writing about.
using those wor
ic (maybe
Help your youngster choose a top
to
her
ask
n,
a favorite pet or activity). The
ft
(“so
ic
top
the
think of words that describe
a
ke
Ma
).
sy”
and cuddly” or “fun and mes
n writing
list of the words for her to use whe
her poem.
Suggest that your child use
his name to write an acrostic
about
poe
Remind your child not to worry
In an acrostic, the title is wri
m.
tten down the side, and eac
the lines
rt
sho
h line
begins with one of the letters
rhyme, or about how long or
. Ask your youngster to think
n have
eve
’t
of things
about himself that begin wit
are. Some free verse poems don
h the letters in his name. Hin
t: The first
line can simply start with his
capital letters or punctuation.
name.
Example:
Example:
I love summer
Eric eats pizza
Three months of
R ides a bike
Long hot days
Is in first grade
Under silvery sprinklers
Can read lots of books.
And late nights
Sipping cool lemonade.
Free verse
Acrostic
continued
© 2006 Resources for Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Rhythm s an d Rhym es
Page 2
Limerick
Haiku
that has three
of Japanese poetry
rm
fo
a
is
u
ik
ha
A
five syllables;
st lines each have
la
d
an
t
rs
fi
e
Th
.
lines
haikus are about
seven. Traditional
s
ha
e
lin
e
dl
id
m
ly be about
the
ern haikus can real
od
m
t
bu
s,
on
as
se
the
anything.
Example:
Ra in bo w
Seven bright colors
stormy sky
Sweep across the
in.
Chase away the ra
You and your youngster can
enjoy a good laugh while
funny limerick. These fivewriting a
line rhyming verses follow
this format:
Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme,
and each has seven to ten
syllables. Lines
3 and 4 rhyme and have
five to seven syllables eac
h.
Help your child get starte
d by giving her the first
line. Example:
There once was a rich an
d spoiled cat…
She might add:
Who sat on a velvety ma
t.
He drank from a cup,
His milk he lapped up
Till he grew to be horribly
fat.
Tricks of the trade
Your kids will have fun using
techniques that “real” poets
use. Share these ideas:
■ Metaphors and similes
compare two things. A
metaphor says that one
thing is another, and a
simile says something is
like another. Examples: “I
am an icicle” is a metaphor, and
“I am as cold as ice” is a simile.
■ Rhyme repeats the same ending
sounds (mouse, house). Rhyming words
at the ends of lines are called end rhyme.
But rhymes can also be found within a
line of poetry, called internal rhyme.
Example: “He walked down
the lane in the pouring
rain.” Poems can follow
different rhyming patterns
(rhyming every line, every
other line, or even every
fourth line).
■ Alliteration repeats the beginning
sounds in a line of poetry. Examples:
sunny summer skies, chewy chunky
chocolate chips.
■ Rhythm in poetry is like the beat of a
song. Children can clap along with a
poem when emphasis is put on certain
words or syllables in a regular pattern.
Example: Jack and Jill went up the hill
(clap on “Jill” and “hill”).
■ Onomatopoeia uses words that
resemble the sounds they represent.
Examples: buzz, splash, clang.
Poetry Resources for Children
Anthologies
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
And the Green Grass Grew All Around: Folk
Poetry from
Ever yone by Alvin Schwartz
If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Han
d: Poems About
School by Kalli Dakos
It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles by Jack Prel
utsky
Never Take a Pig to Lunch and Other Poem
s About the Fun of
Food, selected by Nadine Bernard Westcot
Sing a Song of Popcorn: Ever y Child’s Book
of Poems, selected
by Beatrice Schenk deRegniers, Eva Moo
re, Mar y M.
White, and Jan Carr
Snow, Snow: Winter Poems for Children by
Jane Yolen
Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven
Schnur
Web Sites
Arthur’s Web Site at PBS Kids
(http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/
poetry/write.html). Your youngster
may become a “published poet”
by submitting a poem to Fern’s
Poetry Club.
Magnetic Poetry
(www.magneticpoetry.com/kidspoetry/playo
nline.cfm). Drag
words onto a blank page to create your
own poem.
Wacky Web Tales
(www.eduplace.com/tales/content/wwt _ 045.
html). Fill in the
blanks with different parts of speech to
write a poem called
a cinquain. (This site also offers your child
help with the
parts of speech.)
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© 2006 Resources for Educators, a division of Aspen Publishers, Inc.
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